Chapter 136
If the strength of the "Agent" lies in the enhancement and amplification of physical abilities, then the strength of the "Apostle" lies in the manipulation and utilization of energy. There is no question of which is stronger or weaker; the only difference lies in the vast difference in their methods of application.
But for Efnir now, the Apostle Power is precisely the tool that can be used as a means of victory.
"..."
Masaki Hina seemed to want to say something more, but there was only a moment of silence on the other end of the communication channel, followed by a soft sigh.
Don't force yourself.
"No, it won't."
"What... are your plans?"
"Wait for the right opportunity to act."
Efnir paused.
"This plaza is an excellent battlefield for us. The target's strength seems to weaken as the effective range increases, so we must keep her tied down in this plaza. I will be responsible for suppressing her."
"Hmm, you know the situation better than I do, so... you'll continue to be the battlefield commander, and I'll provide you with assistance as well..."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Efnir, don't die!"
"It's not that easy."
Masaki Hina said nothing more and cut off the communication.
Efnir shifted her gaze, her left eye narrowing slightly, her crimson eyes fixed on the direction of the artillery fire.
Behind the billowing dust and exploding debris, a faint blue light flickered in and out. The hooded girl, Codename H, was briefly suppressed, but it seemed this stalemate would soon end—with a mere flick of her wrist, several people were sent flying by the unseen force. Of the three armed helicopters, including those belonging to the Orderkeepers Organization, only two remained, their wreckage lying on the other side of the plaza. The soldiers' artillery fire was rapidly waning, while the hooded girl remained completely at ease, as if playing a game of cat and mouse.
Rather than saying she was hampered by the soldiers and unable to move, it would be more accurate to say she was simply waiting to recover her strength under the cover of artillery fire, ready to launch a fierce counterattack at any moment.
The situation is dire; if things continue like this, more people will die.
Efnir took a deep breath, spread her arms, and as energy surged, Efnir toes slowly lifted off the ground, her silver hair dancing in the surging wind.
His body rose into the air.
Hovering and brief flight are among the powers of the Apostle.
"Furan, stay here and protect Fifina."
Efnir spoke softly.
"Then, Yukina, you will follow Furan and provide combat support for me. Seize the opportunity to attack the target's defensive gaps."
"Naoko..."
"Is it possible?"
"..."
Looking up at the Apostle Form Efnir, Yukina's gaze was filled with complex emotions.
Apostle Form is a dangerous force.
If possible, Yukina would like to take that risk for Naoko herself.
But now, anything she said seemed inadequate. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally just nodded, picking up her longbow once more.
What you do is more important than what you say.
If this is Naoko's choice, then the only thing Yukina can do is stand by Naoko's side, support her, and contribute her strength to the best of her ability.
Efnir gave Yukina a deep look, pursed her lips, and said nothing more.
"Start the operation!"
With a soft shout, Efnir spread her fingers, and a blinding ball of light shot towards the hooded girl like a meteor.
197. Bombardment
"Siyejian. The battlefield is now handed over to Efnir."
"On my orders, evacuate the battlefield."
"Wait for Uzuki Saori to arrive, then join forces with Efnir to surround the target."
"..."
"Fifina! Come with me!"
Furan led Yukina as they ran quickly toward the deserted plaza.
The armed helicopter rapidly ascended.
"Cease fire!"
Shinomiyami Nami shouted, and the scorching gun barrels stopped spewing fire. The bombing and shooting by the armed helicopters and soldiers ceased at the same time, and what followed was the blinding flames emanating from Efnir.
The battlefield was handed over to Efnir.
Everyone watched intently as Efnir rose into the air and descended with dazzling light.
"It's up to you... Efnir..."
Boom--
The first burst of light struck the hooded girl's blue light screen, sending layers of smoke and debris flying.
"I'll subdue her! You all withdraw from here! Await orders!"
Efnir's figure burst forth from the rising flames and smoke, the light in her hand striking the azure light screen like a cannonball.
A dull thud and a piercing sound exploded simultaneously, shattering the light curtain and causing the flames to burst apart, scattering into starlight.
"Surprisingly..."
The hooded girl raised her hand, struggling to maintain her invisible power to confront Efnir head-on, a strange light flickering in her eyes.
More than being surprised, they seemed excited.
But one of her eyes was completely covered in blood, making it look particularly gruesome.
"I underestimated you, Ephnel..."
"Enough with the nonsense!"
In terms of the speed of energy construction, Efnir far surpassed Sakurai Sachi and Uzuki Saori. She paused slightly, and the surging light flames, almost tangible, directly shattered the invisible power of the hooded girl and met the light screen that the girl had not yet reconstructed.
A dull thud echoed through the air as the girl was sent flying by Efnir's blow, crashing heavily into the ruins and raising a cloud of dust.
"Take this opportunity, Yukina!"
As soon as the words were spoken, three water-colored arrows pierced the air from beyond the smoke and dust, pointing directly at the hooded girl's back.
Efnir deliberately disrupted the terrain and used the resulting dust to obscure the hooded girl's vision, creating an opportunity for Yukina's support attack.
Clearly, the hooded girl was caught off guard by the attack.
She twisted her body forcefully, dodging an arrow with agility, and quickly raised her hand to create a light barrier to defend against another arrow. However, at the same time, her thigh was mercilessly pierced by the last arrow. Blood mist sprayed in the air, and the hooded girl fell to her knees because her center of gravity was broken.
Yukina did not stop there, and fired two more arrows, maintaining her pressure on the hooded girl.
However, the intense exertion caused her physical and mental strength to rapidly deplete. She gritted her teeth, resisting the dizziness caused by her physical exhaustion.
"Leave the rest to me!"
Naoko's voice came through the earpiece.
At that moment, Efnir appeared in the hooded girl's field of vision.
Flames gathered in her hand, and she swung it out suddenly.
The enormous flames transformed into a crescent moon, slicing towards the hooded girl. The hooded girl futilely raised her hand to defend, but the azure light barrier had barely risen when it was cleaved in two by the blinding moonlight.
With a deafening roar, the moonlight collided with the ground, and the shockwave instantly blew away rubble within a radius of tens of meters, revealing a trench several meters long in the ground, as if someone had slashed it with a dagger in a photograph.
The hooded girl was lying right in the middle of this ditch.
Blood stained the ground.
The hooded girl narrowly escaped, but still paid the price with a leg—her left leg was severed by Efnir's sharp moonlight blade, and she could no longer stand up.
Even so, she did not utter a sound of pain.
"..."
Efnir narrowed her left eye, hovering in mid-air, looking down at the hooded girl. She raised her right hand again, her fingers slightly bent, and in the blink of an eye, high walls of light and flames rose around the girl, then suddenly compressed and surrounded her.
The girl knelt on the ground, looking up at Efnir with an ambiguous gaze. Her hand, from palm to arm to shoulder, was covered in glaring blood.
That was the wound inflicted on her by a single arrow from Yukina.
"Time is almost up..."
When Efnir heard the hooded girl murmur those words, her gaze sharpened, and the light surged once more, as a massive wall of light crashed down upon the hooded girl.
The hooded girl raised her hand, and a deep blue light screen rose up to resist the intense pressure of the flames.
But the ground beneath her feet was crushed and bulged inch by inch by the enormous force, as if a shrinking cage was binding her until it completely swallowed the girl's figure.
"Was it successful?"
A voice came through the headset, and Efnir simply shook her head.
Not yet, but... soon.
Efnir narrowed her left eye slightly and slowly raised her hand.
A fierce wind surged, and dazzling white energy continuously erupted, condensing around Efnir and transforming into dazzling spears that hovered in mid-air.
Yukina, watching this scene from a distance, had a slight change in her gaze.
"That's... a spear formed from energy... Naoko can actually mimic the arrows I use?"
The spears formed from solid energy were similar to Yukina's arrows, but unlike them, each spear formed by Efnir emitted a powerful and awe-inspiring energy fluctuation. If the powerful enhancement of the Order Weapon to the Order Force was ignored, the destructive power of these spears was obviously far greater than that of Yukina's bow and arrows.
Five branches.
Ten branches.
The number of spears floating around Efnir is increasing.
A series of ear-piercing explosions erupted from the giant wall of light and flames that imprisoned the hooded girl. The sound waves were like tangible shockwaves, kicking up debris and spreading in all directions.
Efnir breathed softly, her teeth clenched, her fingers trembling slightly.
Her right hand maintained the encirclement of the massive wall, while her left hand continued to rapidly condense one spear after another.
Twenty.
Fifty.
Ninety branches...
The next moment, the light and flames shattered, and the hooded girl's disheveled figure appeared in Efnir's sight. The ground beneath her feet had already been crushed to pieces, but there were no marks left on the girl's body.
She broke through Efnir's encirclement in just over ten seconds.
But those ten seconds or so gave Efnir ample time to prepare her "trump card".
The hooded girl looked up, stunned, at the pure white spear that seemed to descend like a vast galaxy.
You lost.
Efnir pressed her hand down.
In an instant, the entire square erupted in cheers.
Countless spears rained down on the hooded girl like a sudden summer rainstorm.
A deep blue light and dazzling silver light rose from the hooded girl's palm, but the next second they were struck hard by a gun, and countless Fracture spread inch by inch.
The next blow shattered them completely.
The ground shook continuously as if in a powerful earthquake. The deafening bombardment stripped away all sound and color. Shockwaves came one after another, with the hooded girl's location as the center. Debris was carried away by the fierce wind and rolled into the distance, and large clouds of dust and clods of earth were raised, obscuring everyone's vision.